Murky, cloudy brown with a small light brown head, leaving only small dots of stick down the glass.

The aroma is, without a doubt, the most appealing aspect of the beer. It's just a bit toned down compared to the base beer, which I think is a good thing since I remember not being a big fan of that one. Good amounts cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and fruit cake combine mightily. I don't get a lot of barrel character, but I think the time in the wood has toned down some of the sharper elements in the base beer.

The flavor though suffers similarly to my memories of the base beer: too much cinnamon and all spice, dominating most of everything else. I only get a mild wood character, but the numbing/powerful notes of cinnamon are prevalent.

I could go on about the spices of this beer and how it wasn't well balanced but honestly, all I want to say in this review is that this beer smelled and tasted like your old great aunt Mildred's Christmas Potpourri, you know the one with the pine cones, cinnamon sticks, clove studded oranges and dried flowers covered in a shiny red glaze and sparkly glitter. The brewers of this beer must have dry-hopped with this stuff, how else could they have nailed it so perfectly?

Barrel Aged Frosted Frog is a dark copper color. It’s mostly clear, and has nice crimson highlights when held to light. A modest tan head caps it off. It stands roughly a finger tall, but recedes quickly. It holds at the surface for a bit. Lacing was a little sticky, but light.

The nose is alright. It features a strong cinnamon scent up front. No big shock there. There are some nice sweet, caramel and toffee notes that linger throughout. Bourbon is definitely there, but doesn’t seem all that strong. Doesn’t smell like it spent a great deal of time in barrels. Probably a good call. Other spicy notes of ginger and nutmeg are noted. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t come through too strong.

The flavor is less impressive. Average at best. Caramel malts kick it off. The flavor is quite sweet. It’s also quite spicy. Cinnamon comes through loud and clear. It’s a bit overbearing. Ginger and nutmeg flavors are also present, but in lesser amounts. Bourbon is a little stronger in the mix than anticipated. Barrel aging also left a rather prominent vanilla flavor. The strong vanilla and cinnamon flavors seem to be a little at odds. It’s not overtly bad, but it’s not quite good either. Alcohol is there, but isn’t warm or hot.

The body is medium. Carbonation seems light and relatively soft. It has a pretty good feel. It’s a sipper though. The flavor just grows a bit tiresome, especially in the second half of the bomber.

Barrel Aged Frosted Frog is not Hoppin’ Frog’s best moment. It’s okay at best. The flavor simply isn’t very impressive. The vanilla and spicy notes are a little at odds with each other. Frankly, barrel aging did not have any appreciable positive effects on Frosted Frog. I prefer the regular, non-ba Frosted Frog. This one might be worth one try, but that’s about it.

22OZ bottle I took out of my cellar today and poured into a clean tulip, though I have had this beer several times before.

A- Pours reddish brown, and is a very pretty beer in the glass. White head doesn't last long. Try to get a few sips in while it is there, for sure.

S- I think this is simply one of the best smelling beers there is. The smell may not translate directly to the taste, but the nose is perfect. Ginger, clove, nutmeg, spice, and booze. Wonderful. Smells like a hot toddy.

T-This one was a bit thicker than I remember it. A Xmas novelty that maybe wouldn't translate to a session beer, but a nice treat. Spicy, and boozy...it's Xmas in a bottle. Not bitter at all.

M-Like I said, I remember it being a little thinner and lighter, but this was more like Belgian strong with spices added. A bit thick, but still pleasant.

O-I Really like this beer as a treat. I bought like a half dozen bottles from my local store when they where there to add to the cellar. Every now and then I get a hankering for one, and I will be sad when they are gone. Maybe a little less than "world-class", but still a fantastic beer and a real fun one to drink.

22 ounce bottle. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with maybe a half inch light tan head that fizzled away quickly. There's a small amount of lacing. Aroma is very, very spicy. The brew smells like nutmeg, cinnamon, gingerbread, and some oak and vanilla. But the spices overpower the whiskey in the aroma. Taste is similar to how it the brew smells, but there's a better balance between the spice and whiskey flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick with low/moderate carbonation. Overall I think the brew is still too spicy for me, it just gets worse and worse the closer I get to finishing the bottle. I don't think I cared for the regular version either, but I do like this version better as it doesn't seem as spicy in comparison as the barrel aging mellowed out the spices some. Worth a try if you've never had it before. $13.99 a bottle.